⁶ I say those things to you as my advice, not as a command.

Advice for Those Who Are Not Married

²⁵ Now I want to say something about virgins. I have no direct command from the Lord. But I give my opinion. Because of the Lord’s mercy, I give it as one who can be trusted.

⁴⁰ In my opinion, she is happier if she stays single. And I also think that I am led by the Spirit of God in saying this.

¹⁰ Here is my opinion about what is best for you in that matter. Last year you were the first to give. You were also the first to want to give.

⁸ I am not commanding you to do it. But I want to test you. I want to find out if you really love God. I want to compare your love with that of others.